How Hospital Chaplains Are Still Providing Comfort During the Pandemic

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How Hospital Chaplains Are Still Providing Comfort During the Pandemic

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Updated: 4:52 PM CDT Apr 17, 2020

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SOLEDAD: WELCOME BACK TO "MATTER OF FACT." ISOLATED AND ALONE WE HEAR STORES OF COVID-19 PATIENTS SPENDING THEIR LAST MOMENTS QUARANTINED IN HOSPITAL AND THAT MEANS NO FAMILY PRESENT WITH A COMFORTING WORD OR HOLDING THEIR HAND. HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS ARE TRYING TO BRIDGE THAT OFFERING PEACE IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY. I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH REVEREND MARTIN MONTONYE THE SUPERVISOR OF CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION AT NYC HEALTH AND HOSPITALS, BELLEVUE. SOLEDAD: CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW MUCH ACCESS YOU ARE GETTING TO SICK PEOPLE AT BELLEVUE? REV. MARTIN: YES. WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FULL ACCESS TO ALL THE PATIENTS. WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH N-95 MASKS AND WHEN WE NEED TO GO INTO AN AREA WHERE WE FULLY CLOTHE IN P.P.E. WE ARE ALLOWED. WE TRY NOT TO GET, USE THE P.P.E. BECAUSE THAT IS MORE FOR THE DIRECT PROVIDERS BUT WE HAVE TOTAL ACCESS. SOLEDAD: WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS YOU ARE HAVING WITH FAMILIES WHO HAVE VIRTUALLY NO ACCESS TO THEIR LOVED ONES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET INSIDE THE HOSPITAL? REV. MARTIN: PART OF OUR DUTIES ARE TO CALL THE FAMILIES, WE ARE THE INITIAL CALL THEY RECEIVE AND THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING UPDATES ON THEIR LOVED ONES, THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TEST RESULTS. THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM. SO WE RECENTLY WERE EQUIPPED WITH THESE WERE NICE DONATED EUBGS PADS AND WE ARE NOW DOING VIDEO CALLS AND FAMILIES ARE VERY RELIEVED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONE IN THE HOSPITAL. SOLEDAD: MY MOM AND DAD DIED LAST CAREER ABOUT 40 DAYS BETWEEN EACH OTHER. AND I GOT TO BE THERE FOR THEIR LAST BREATHS FOR BOTH OF THEM. I ASSUME IN BROUGHT THEM COMFORT BUT I THINK IT BROUGHT ME MORE COMFORT THAT I GOT TO BE THERE AT THE FINAL MOMENT. FOR SO MANY FAMILIES THEY CAN'T. PLOW DO YOU COMFORT SOMEBODY WHEN IT MUST FEEL SO AWFUL TO KNOW THAT YOUR LOVED ONE IS NOT ALONE BUT NOT WITH FAMILY? REV. MARTIN: WE GET ON THE PHONE WITH THEM OFTEN AND ACTUALLY LAST NIGHT WE HAD SEVEN PEOPLE ON ONE PHONE CALL AND THE FAMILY WAS VERY COMFORTED TO BE ABLE TO TALK AMONGST THEMSELVES WITH A CHAPLAIN IN THE PHONE CALL. AND THEY ACTUALLY ASKED FOR PRAYER. SO WE OFFER WORDS OF COMFORT DEPENDING ON THEIR TRADITION. IF THEY DON'T HAVE A FAVORITE TRADITION WE TALK IN SORT OF INTERFAITH MULTICULTURAL TERMS. SO, WE TRY TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE AND COMFORT THEM BY HELPING THEM GET REATTACHED TO THEIR COPING MECHANISM AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS. WHATEVER NEED TO COPE WITH THERE DIFFICULT TIME. SOLEDAD: WE PLAY PARENTS DIED EVERY SO OFTEN SOMEBODY I THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO BE LEVEL BUT WOULD SAY LISTEN, IT IS GORD'S WILL. I DON'T FIND THAT VERY COMFORTING. REV. MARTIN: NEITHER DO I. IT IS HARD TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF A LOSS ESPECIALLY IN THE MOMENT WE THE GRIEF IS NEW, RAW, EMOTIONS ARE ON THE SURFACE AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS SHOW UP, GIVE PEOPLE SPACE TO GRIEVE THE WAY THEY NEED TO. SOLEDAD: DOES THERE TAKE A TOLL ON YOU? I HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE FOR YOU. REV. MARTIN: YES, IT IS TAKING A TOLL ON ME AND MY STAFF. WE GET TOGETHER EVERY MORNING, SAY A PRAYER AND THEN GET THROUGH THE DAY AND AT NIGHT WE ALL DO WHAT WE NEED TO COPE. I HAVE VIDEO TIME WITH MY FAMILY ALMOST EVERY NIGHT AND ON THE WEEKENDS WE GET, THE EXTENDED FAMILY GETS TOGETHER AND WE HAVE DANCE PARTIES AND SHARE RECIPES AND I WALK TO WORK SO THAT IS HOW I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. SOLEDAD: THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO AND STAFF WE ARE GRATEFUL AND I'M PRETTY SURE WE DON'T SAY IT ENOU

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How Hospital Chaplains Are Still Providing Comfort During the Pandemic

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Updated: 4:52 PM CDT Apr 17, 2020

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, health care facilities are working to curb the spread of the virus. Hospitals and clinics are restricting visitors and sometimes even leaving patients to spend their last moments alone under quarantine. Those restrictions also include hospital chaplains, long a source of comfort for hospice patients and grieving family members. Martin Montonye is the supervisor of the Clinical Pastoral Education at NYC Health and Hospitals. Soledad O’Brien spoke with him about how pastors are staying true to their mission from outside the hospital room.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, health care facilities are working to curb the spread of the virus. Hospitals and clinics are restricting visitors and sometimes even leaving patients to spend their last moments alone under quarantine. Those restrictions also include hospital chaplains, long a source of comfort for hospice patients and grieving family members. Martin Montonye is the supervisor of the Clinical Pastoral Education at NYC Health and Hospitals. Soledad O’Brien spoke with him about how pastors are staying true to their mission from outside the hospital room.